16-1 into 2-1 favourite - Lowry's Bar lands gamble to seal a superb day for Philip Hobbs and Johnson White

Philip Hobbs and Johnson White had already enjoyed success in a valuable veterans’ chase at Aintree with Celebre D'Allen before Lowry’s Bar landed a gamble to make a successful debut under rules.

The five-year-old was available at 16-1 in the morning but was sent off the 2-1 favourite for the 1m7f maiden hurdle. Ben Jones, who also rode Boston Joe to victory in the finale for Rebecca Curtis, helped Lowry’s Bar get the better of Panjari to justify the strong market support.

“We’re very pleased," said Hobbs, who also had Thurley outrun odds of 40-1 to be fourth in the 15-runner contest. “We thought he might want further but it was a good start and a decent performance.”

Lowry’s Bar was second for Sam Curling in February in a Knockanard point-to-point that is working out well, with the fifth, Whistle Stop Tour, also having made a winning start under rules for Lucinda Russell.

“This is the first horse that Johnson has bought off his own back,” said Hobbs. “Johnson’s daughter Molly was in Ireland when the horse ran in his point-to-point.”

Musical Slave, who had been pulled up on his previous two starts at the Cheltenham Festival and in the bet365 Gold Cup, completed a good day’s work for the Hobbs and White combination when finishing second to Credo in the feature 3m2½f handicap chase.

The Anthony Honeyball-trained winner became the third horse who ran in the mares’ chase final at Cheltenham’s April meeting to make a successful seasonal debut when landing the £24,000 event.

Hat-trick

Oscars Moonshine defied a penalty to follow up his win at Kempton the previous week in the 2m5½f handicap hurdle.

The 9-4 favourite won at Wincanton in April and returned to the same track to complete a hat-trick under Olive Nicholls, whose father Paul saddled Liari to make a winning debut in Britain in the juvenile hurdle.

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